Ellipsometric Identification of Transition from Layered Metal-dielectric Film to Hyperbolic Metamaterial

Samhita Kattekola; Vinod Menon; Alexander Couzis; Ilona Kretzschmar

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arXiv · 2511.13991

Ellipsometric Identification of Transition from Layered Metal-dielectric Film to Hyperbolic Metamaterial

Samhita Kattekola·Vinod Menon·Alexander Couzis·Ilona Kretzschmar

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Abstract

Hyperbolic Metamaterials (HMMs) continue to be intriguing due to their applications in super resolution imaging and spontaneous emission control. One of the successful realizations of HMMs is a layered metal-dielectric film. Despite the extensive knowledge in thin film technology and the promises of HMM's applications, the scale up and practical utilization of HMMs have not yet occurred. A general design approach is needed to predict the transition of a layered structure into an HMM. In this work, effective medium approximation and transfer matrix method are combined to determine the transition and validated by spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements on a predefined HMM structure made of silver and alumina. Four interdependent design parameters are explored: thicknesses of metal and dielectric layers, transition wavelength, and minimum number of periods required for a layered metal-dielectric film to display hyperbolic dispersion. The findings are presented as a practical engineering design chart, similar to a state diagram, that can be extended to other combinations of materials.

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Samhita Kattekola, Vinod Menon, Alexander Couzis, Ilona Kretzschmar. 2026-01-05. Ellipsometric Identification of Transition from Layered Metal-dielectric Film to Hyperbolic Metamaterial. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.13991

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